Wednesday, February 21, 2007
The singer checked herself back into rehab Tuesday.
COMBINED DISPATCHES
LOS ANGELES -- Kevin Federline is purposely staying out of the spotlight as estranged wife Britney Spears publicly unravels, hoping her wacky escapades will help him win custody of their two children, Federline's friends told the New York Daily News.
The aspiring rapper was hiding out in Los Angeles over the weekend as the singer alternately went bald and paraded in a blond wig.
"He is just waiting for her to get worse," a pal said. "She is only hurting herself right now."
Spears and Federline are battling for 17-month-old Sean Preston and 7-month-old Jayden James.
Experts warned that her erratic antics could land her under a psychiatric microscope in the custody fight.
What they said
"It's bizarre behavior," said LA attorney Nathan Goldberg. "It might raise concerns about where the behavior is coming from. ... What problems is she having, and how might those problems affect her ability as a parent?"
All-night bar-hopping is not likely to cost Spears custody of her kids, especially in Hollywood where "people in the entertainment industry go out at night all the time," Goldberg said.
But in the last week, Spears checked herself into rehab, checked out 24 hours later, and then went off for a head shave and some tattoos.
Spears' manager, Larry Rudolph, told People magazine's Web site that the singer had voluntarily entered another rehab facility Tuesday.
"Shaving your head is bizarre, but it's not illegal," said Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson, who thinks the shave won't hurt Spears in court "unless you can show that she was out of her mind or on drugs when she did it."
Both Spears and Federline will likely undergo psychiatric examination. Even their households will be studied to see if they provide a good environment for kids.
"The custody evaluator will want to observe each of them interacting with the children to see how they behave with the children and how the children relate to them," said Goldberg.
"You can't get any more raw than seeing people battle over their babies."
Comedian lays off
Meanwhile, Craig Ferguson decided not to poke fun at Spears for at least one night.
The host of CBS' "The Late Late Show" told viewers Monday that after seeing photos of the 25-year-old pop star's shaved head, he reconsidered making jokes at the expense of the "vulnerable."
Spears made headlines over the weekend when she shaved her head at a Los Angeles hair salon and then went to a tattoo parlor where she had a pair of lips put on her wrist. Spears shaved her head Friday, the same day as reports on TV and Web sites that she had briefly checked into a rehabilitation center.
"For me, comedy should have a certain amount of joy in it," Ferguson said. "It should be about attacking the powerful -- the politicians, the Trumps, the blowhards -- going after them. We shouldn't be attacking the vulnerable."
Ferguson recalled his battle with alcoholism and said he worries Spears may be having troubles of her own.